Flying-machine.



- E. 0. & A. B. CHASE.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 5, 1911.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

WWW JM E. G. & A. B. CHASE.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. G. & A. B. CHASE.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1911.

Patented Nbv.5,1912

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Attila/",5 Chase (I Er/ww u 6i (Zea/5e \IIII 25 against 'fr TENT OFFICE.

'ERWIN o. CHASE Ann nn'rnim B. CHASE, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed July 5, 1911. Serial No. 686,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERWIN C. Cnnsn and ARTHUR B. CHAsE, citizens of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, 1 have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying-lliachines, of which the following is a specification, I

This invention relates to aeroplane flying machines, and particularly to means for maintaining the lateral balance or poise thereof, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby the weight of the motor and" associated parts may be employed to maintain a fixed center of gravity and the motor utilized as a weighted pendulum for operating balancing devices, whereby the normal lateral balance of the machine will be'p'reserved and all undue 0 lateral pitching or rocking prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for limiting the oscillatory movement of the motor within reasonable and safe limits, for guarding the motor possible injury in launching and landing, and for locking the motor against oscillatory movement when its use as a balancing element is not desired or required.

With these and other objects in view, the

B0 invention consists of the features of con struction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter .fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 3'5 Figurel 1s a vertical transverse section on the line 11 of Fig. 2 of a flying machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on 'the line 3 -3 of-Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a frag,-

mentary bottom plan View, parts appearing in section. Fig. 5 1s a perspective view of the engine carrying frame and parts mounted thereon. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the balancing mechanism.

In the present instance we have shown the application of our invention to a b1- plane machine, but it is not llmlted to machines of this particulartype.

Referreing to. the drawings, 1 designates ithe main frame, .2 and 3 the upper and lower planes, 4 the struts or stanchions conmeeting the planes, and5 he balancing de vices suitably mounted for adjustment to.

5 maintain the'lateral/equilibrium of the machine, which devices'maybe in the form of derstood.

ing and landing wheels 9, said chassisin:

eluding a skid or runner 10 reinforced by spaced braces 11.

The driving propeller 12 is preferably mountedat the rear of the machine upon a shaft 13 journaled in the rear portion of a frame structure 14: mounted centrally between the two supporting planes, said frame comprising longitudinal side bars 15 and connecting cross bars 16. Mounted upon the front portion of said frame in axial alinement with the propeller shaft 13 is a rod 17 forming a pivotal support for a series of depending hanger arms 18 which project downward through the openings 7 in the lower main plane and carry at their lower ends yokes 19 forming a sling or frame in which the drivingmotor 20 is mounted. As shown, the motor mainly be .cupies a position below the plane 3 and between the braces 11 and immediately above the skid or rudder 10, so that its weight will be disposed at a relatively low point to make the center of gravity of the machine correspondingly low, for a purpose readily un- The fuel supply tanks 21 and radiorvtip will be tilted in re-' ator 22 are also preferably supported upon the rods 18 for support therefrom independent of the main frame and planes, and

so that their weight will also be placed at a relatively low point to promote the stability of the machine. As a result of this construction andmode of mounting the parts, it will be seen-that the motor is adapted to perform the function of a weighted pendulum, which maintains a' vertical position irrespective of the lateral oscillating movements of the machine in flight,-.whereby the motor is adapted to be employed for controlling the ailerons or wing tips, as hereinafter described. .The shaft of the motor carries a sprocket wheel 23 connected by achain 24 with a sprocket wheel 25 on1the propeller shaft 13, whereby motion 1s communicated to the propeller. It will beobserved that by the arrangementof the propeller shaft in axial alinement with the main-plane and are so arranged that when of the skid and motor is such that the skid the machine tilts laterally in one direction one of the cables will be drawn upon to positively tilt one of the wing tips, whlle the other cable will be relaxed so that adjusting motion will be communicated to the other wing tip through the cable 6. When the machine tilts upward at one side, for instance, the wing tip at the opposite or low side will be swung down so that the air will bank against the lower face to force such side of the machine up, while the wing tip at the first-named or high side will be swung up through the connection 6,so that the air will bank against its-upper face to force such side of' the machine down, whereby the balance or equilibrium of the machine will be automatically restored. When either side of the machine tiltsdown, the aileron at that side willbe similarly tilted down, and the aileron at the opposite side tilted up, with the result above noted. The motor is thus mounted to serve as an automatic controlling element, between which and the machine a relative motion is established when the machine tilts to control the cables in such manner as to properly adjust the ailerons to return the machine to a balanced posit-ion. The ailerons are disposed horizontally or edgewise when the machine is in'balanced position, so that they normally set up no resistance to the travel of the machine.

It will be observed that the arrangement is adapted to act as a guard or finger to prevent injury to the motor in'the event that the machine lands with any unusual degree of force, andthat the mode of suspending the motor-enables any style of motor to be used. This style of mounting, in addition to the stabilizing action obtained, will permit engines of the rotating body type to be employed in such a manner as to secure a gvroscopic effect, giving added stability to the machine.

It will be understood that the arrangement of the engine below the aviator further pre- 1 vents liability of injury to the aviator therefrom in the event of the falling of the ma chine to the ground. Stops or bumpers 27 are provided to limit the swinging movement of the pendulum, and a locking dog or device 28 connected by a link 28 with a foot lever 29 is provided to engage a rack 29 bn the swinging frame and enable the aviator to lock the swinging frame and pendulum against motion, when desired.

It will, of course, be understood that any type of gearing for driving the propeller from the engine may be employed, and that any equivalent means for mounting the engine may be used. By disposing the eng ne below the supporting surface or surfaces in a monoplane or multiplane machine, the weight of the engine acting as a lever will effectually serve to prevent the machine from turning over laterally in either direction.

Having thus described the invention, we claim 1. In a flying machine, a main frame, a frame structure secured to the main frame and extending in a fore and aft direction, a longitudinally extending rod carried by said frame structure, a longitudinallfy; extending propeller shaft carried by the ame structure and arranged in coaxial alinement with said rod, hangers pivotally supported by the rod for lateral movement, loops carried by said hangers and forming a sling, a motor supported by said sling, sprocket gears on the propeller and motor shafts, a chain connecting said gears,

lateral balancing elements, connections between the said balancing elements and the swinging support formed by the hangers and sling, and means for locking and releasing sa1d swinging support.

2. In a flying machine, the combination of a main frame carrying upper and lower supporting surfaces, the lower supporting surface having an opening therein, a longitudinally extending frame secured to the main frame between said supporting sutfaces, lateral balancing elements, a rod carried by the longitudinal frame, a propeller shaft journaled on said longitudinally extending'frame in axial alinement with the rod, hangers pivotallyengaging the rod and extending downwardly through said opening in the lower supporting surface and carrying at their lower ends loops formin a sling, a motor mounted in said sling, sproc ct gears on the motorand propeller shafts, a sprocket chain connecting said gears, stops at or adjacent the sides of the opening for limiting the swinging motion of the motor support, connections between said motor support and the balancing elements, and means for locking said motor support to the frame or releasing it to permit it to swing.

- 3. In a flying machine, a main frame, a fore and aft frame mounted upon the main frame, a propeller shaft carried by the fore and aft frame, a swinging frame pendent from-said fore and aft frame and mounted to swing on an axis longitudinally alined with the propeller shaft, a motor mounted on the swinging frame, sprocketgcaring be- "tween the propeller shaft and, motor shaft, a In testimony where locking member carried by the swinging tures in presence of two wltnesses immeasupponhpendent from the fore and v ERWIN C. CHASE. aft frame, a coacting locking device carried 7 ARTHUR B. CHASE.

5 by said support, and controlling means for Witness s and out of action. I WESLEY J WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. G. i

of we affix our signa- 

